Shepherds
The Church of Man has brought many positive things to Pugmire, and the shepherds are one of the most common examples. Shepherds guard the hearts and souls of those around them, both through their wisdom and the power of their faith. From her studies and training in the Church of Man, a shepherd eventually graduates and goes through the Ritual of Transubstantiation. Once she has been injected with the sacred blood of the Old Ones, the shepherd gains mystical power that allows her to heal the wounded, bring sacred fire to dark places, and perform many other miracles __TOC__ Typical Shepherds Shepherds come from all walks of life, but few of them are unintelligent. To receive the Ritual of Transubstantiation requires years of dedicated study, as well as lots of experience speaking with and advising other dogs. Generally, however, shepherds are loath to enter a fight directly, choosing instead to help and support their friends with a soft word of healing or a quick combat prayer. Dogs that use their heads, like herders and pointers, generally find success within the Church. View on the Code Shepherds strive to live their lives by the Code. Not all of them follow every single tenet faithfully, but those that don’t are often penitent after the fact. “Be a good dog” is only the first tenet of the Code, but to a shepherd, it’s the most important. As far as they’re concerned, all other tenets support and reinforce that highest of concepts. View on Other Callings *Artisans: You are capable of miracles as well, but you put your faith in the tools of Man, and not Man themselves. *Guardians: It is the mark of a good dog to risk your life for the sake of others. But don’t let your strength blind you to your responsibilities. *Hunters: Destroying monsters that seek nothing but chaos makes you a good dog, but so many like you get lost in the wilderness. *Ratters: When you live so much in the shadows, how can you possibly know which dogs are worth saving, and which are not? *Strays: Your heart may be true, but without the companionship of other dogs, how can you know for sure? Rucksack One simple melee weapon , one set of light armor, one shield, candles, vestments, rations, and a symbol of the Church of Man gained under unusual circumstances. Character Creation *Stamina dice: d8 per level *Stamina points: 8 + Constitution modifier per level *Primary abilities: Intelligence and Wisdom *Skills: Choose two from Heal, Know Arcana, Know History, Know Religion, Persuade, and Sense Motive. *First tricks: Simple Weapon Aptitude, Light Armor Aptitude, Medium Armor Aptitude, Shield Aptitude, and choose one from either Good Memory or Prayers to Man. The unusual circumstances in which your dog acquired their symbol of(talk with your Guide about making up your own if none of these fit with your dog): #Given to you by your mentor on your graduation day. #Inherited as a family heirloom, after your mother fell in battle. #Purchased from a pawn shop as a lucky charm before you joined the Church. #Found one day in your possessions, with no clue how it got there. #Made by a strange cat that converted to the Church of Man. #Taken from a thief who repented before he was sent to jail. Spellcasting Shepherds are spellcasters which means they can take tricks that allow them to cast spells. The power of a spell is enumerated in the spell level, with level 1 as the weakest spells, level 2 as slightly more powerful, and so on. Spell Slots Each spellcaster has several spell slots, which determines how often she can cast spells before needing to rest. At level 1, spellcasters have two spell slots, plus an additional number of spell slots equal to her Constitution modifier. As a spellcaster advances, they can choose to take more spells or enhance their spellcasting trick. Casting a spell expends spell slots equal to its spell level. (The three basic spells granted with the spellcasting trick do not use spell slots when cast.) A spellcaster can spend stamina dice to recover spell slots, just like recovering stamina points, and she recovers all her slots after sleeping. In desperate times, a dog can spend fortune to cast a single spell of any level. Spellcasting Modifier Some spells require a target to make a saving throw to avoid some or all a spell’s effects. The difficulty to resist a spellcaster’s spells is known as a Spell Save. A shepherd's Spell Save is 8 + their Wisdom modifier + their proficiency bonus. Other spells may require an attack roll to determine if the caster hits the intended target. Making an attack roll with a spell is much like making any other attack roll: Roll a d20, and add the Wisdom modifier + proficiency bonus. Ranged spell attacks are like normal ranged attacks and follow all the same limitations. Concentration Some spells require concentration. This means that while the spell is active, the spellcaster must use a bonus action every subsequent turn to keep such a spell active. The next time it’s the spellcaster’s turn after the spell was cast, she has to use her bonus action to keep the spell going. If she doesn’t use a bonus action for this purpose, the spell immediately ends.